Guide to Manuscript Collections

Welcome to the Guide to Manuscript Collections. The National Library of Scotland has extensive holdings of manuscripts and archives relating to Scottish history and culture and Scots men and women at home and abroad, dating mainly from the seventeenth century to the present day. For more information see our collections page.

This guide covers all significant manuscripts and archives held by Manuscript Collections. Detailed inventories of many of the larger Accessions are attached. These documents are available as PDF files. You need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader software to be able to read and print them. Manuscripts known by a given name are included but not single items or small collections. For a full listing of the Library's manuscript and archival holdings, also consult the published Catalogue of Manuscripts Acquired Since 1925, Vols. I - VIII, the online Manuscripts Catalogue, and the finding aids in the Special Collections Reading Room, or send a message to manuscripts@nls.uk.